When you are self-employed everything is down to you, and that includes the way you promote and market your business. At the end of the day, without your customers, there would be no business. Therefore setting out a good marketing plan and sticking with it will help to get your seen and heard by the right customers.
Because you have yo focus on so many different areas when you’re self-employed it can be easy to get lost in what you need to do to hit the mark when it comes to marketing. Yes, marketing can be challenging, however, not all of it needs to be complicated.
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Have a look below at some of the thing you should consider when looking at promoting yourself as a self-employed business:
Pick A Few Marketing Strategies
Once you starting thinking about your marketing ideas, you will most likely find that you have opened the flood gates and have more ideas than you know what to do with. Although they may all be amazing strategies, it’s important not to take on too much at a time. When you are working self-employed, you need to get the cash flow running, and keep your customers happy. This means you have a limited amount of time to get your marketing just right. Pick one or marketing strategies to start with, that way you will have time to do them properly and be able to see the befits much quicker. Once you have them ticked off and in good working order, you could always think about adding in further strategies to the mix.
Use Your Network
As soon s you know you will be going self-e ployed, start letting people know that you are looking for clients and business opportunities. Once you have work, ask for referrals, this is a brilliant way to get more work and recommendations, plus it’s free and easy to do. Don’t be shy to shout about your services in your networks and show people exactly what you can do for them. One of the best ways to start this is actually close to home, with your family, friends, and work colleagues.
Make Use Of Freelancer Sites
Freelance sites will take some commission from your fee, however, they can be a really useful source of income, especially when you are just starting out as self-employed. Through the uncertain time of Covid-19, freelancing sites have been a lifeline for many self-employed workers. Sites like people per hour and Upwork are free to set up and sign up so you certainly have nothing to lose by getting yourself set up. Make sure you keep them up to date and prefer a portfolio of work examples that you can provide to any potential clients. Don’t forget to keep your profile up to date with all your achievements and your latest contact details.
Utilize Paid Ads
Paid ads on platforms like Google and Facebook are a reasonably priced way of advertising your products or services. They also enable you to target certain words and demographics, which means you know that you are paying for something that is going to land in front of the right people. This way of marketing can sometimes be a little complicated to find your way around at first, this is where a Facebook ads agency would come in handy, as they can do the work for you and get it done right.
Get Yourself On Social Media
Social media is a great way to get yourself known and it gives your customer the opportunity to get to know you better. YOu can showcase your products or services, give honest opinions and advice, and ultimately drive customers to your website. Make sure anything that you do is with the customers in mind and things aren’t too personal. Remember anything you put on social media needs to be relevant to your customers and the products/services that you offer.
There are many different platforms to choose from ‘ LinkedIn, Twitter Facebook, etc. However, it’s probably best to only focus on a few at a time. Possibly only one if you want to get it just right. You also need ot make it relevant, for example, an accountant would do very well with a LinkedIn account whereas a self-employed hairdresser would probably like to set up an Instagram page instead.
Networking
Although a lot of networking is now taking place online and through tools like Zoom, there will be a time where we are able to go to the busy conferences and networking days again. Today’s digital world makes the running of a small, self-employed business cheaper and easier than ever though. It’s still possible to have online meetings, make hundreds of phone calls all around the world, and even complete presentations online through the use of shared screens.
People buy from people, so, of course, networking in person when it’s safe to do so is a really good way to get yourself noticed and out in your industry. Have a look at both networking in person and networking online, you want to make sure you are ready for both.
Define Your Target Market & Ideal Customer
A sure-fire way to ass clarity to your marketing strategy is to write down the ideal customer and exact target market that you want to sell to. If you do this you will be able to make better decisions when it comes to choosing the right marketing strategy to use and invest your time/money in. If you’re self-employed then you will probably already have a good idea about the target market you want/need to aim for, but id you don’t conduct some market research or have a look at investing in a market research service.
Give Something For Free
There’s something about freebies that people just love. The good news is, this is a great way to engage with your customers and get your product or service in front of them. There are many ways you can do this. For example, you could offer your product/service in return for an open and honest opinion as part of market research where the recipients give you constructive feedback or you could think about giving your product/service to a few influencers who will discuss it with their followers on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Traditional Marketing
Although some have written off traditional marketing, it can make a massive difference. It involves things like flyers, brochures, and vouchers. It’s very easy for people to ignore emails, in fact, a lot of people no longer have notifications on their email accounts and check them only when they are expecting something. Traditional marketing can be a lot more engaging especially if you design something that catches their attention. Offering a voucher with your flyers and brochures also makes people keep their eye out for more.
Have A Website
If you’re a self-employed worker having a website is becoming more of a necessity, much like it is for any other business. Having an SEO optimized website will make sure you are seen online. Not only this, but it’s also a great place to send your customers so they can learn more about your services and you. A website doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive. It’s simple to create a great-looking responsive website using ready-made templates on sites like Wix or WordPress.
These ten tips should help you to market yourself as a self-employed worker. Are you self-employed? What do you do to market yourself? Do you have a favorite strategy that you use?